General Hux is an enemy of the Resistance, and I think pretty poorly of him. ( He points this out just as Rey is having her epiphany, determining for himself how he is going to navigate the change in terrain without slipping back inside of himself, without hollowing out that bitter center within him to tap into the deep, dark well that might propel him forward. Even drawing strength from the marrow of his bones, his nerve endings and endorphins, in such a way has its limitations, and he has no desire to be utterly wiped out in mind and body and ability, not to mention the wedge that drawing too much on himself in that fashion might continue to drive between himself and the young woman accompanying him. ) I prefer to think of it as -
( He looks up at the last moment, cutting his sentence short with a slight lessening of the perpetual scowl that has root itself so firmly into place, to see the hand that she extends toward him. It doesn't surprise him to be presented with it, necessarily, given the way that they have leaned on one another more than once, but seeing her hand thrown out toward him without the bright glare of a saber at the end of it or some other jumble of tension and aggression ready to strike is still jarring in its own right. Kylo's eyes skip from her outstretched fingers up to her face as he takes the proffered grip and gets his bearings and balance underneath him before following her, leaning on her in this way, and refusing to acknowledge to himself the alleviation that it provides the pain in his leg.
There's little opportunity for conversation as they continue upward, a result of both focusing on where hands and feet should go and biting down on the bitter than of his own discomfort. Kylo knows that Rey can perceive it as well as he can her various aches and pains but for the most part their focus is on seeing this through to the bitter end, however inconvenient and tiresome it is. It's hardly the first time that either of them have pushed themselves beyond the limit of practicality, though there is a raw raggedness to Rey's determination and movement that belies more of her experience with perseverance as a necessity rather than a means to an end or a matter of pride. He watches every move that she makes with careful deliberateness and begins to understand, the more she pushes herself, why and how she was able to overcome him so long ago. )
i was but i ran out of sacrificial lambs
( He looks up at the last moment, cutting his sentence short with a slight lessening of the perpetual scowl that has root itself so firmly into place, to see the hand that she extends toward him. It doesn't surprise him to be presented with it, necessarily, given the way that they have leaned on one another more than once, but seeing her hand thrown out toward him without the bright glare of a saber at the end of it or some other jumble of tension and aggression ready to strike is still jarring in its own right. Kylo's eyes skip from her outstretched fingers up to her face as he takes the proffered grip and gets his bearings and balance underneath him before following her, leaning on her in this way, and refusing to acknowledge to himself the alleviation that it provides the pain in his leg.
There's little opportunity for conversation as they continue upward, a result of both focusing on where hands and feet should go and biting down on the bitter than of his own discomfort. Kylo knows that Rey can perceive it as well as he can her various aches and pains but for the most part their focus is on seeing this through to the bitter end, however inconvenient and tiresome it is. It's hardly the first time that either of them have pushed themselves beyond the limit of practicality, though there is a raw raggedness to Rey's determination and movement that belies more of her experience with perseverance as a necessity rather than a means to an end or a matter of pride. He watches every move that she makes with careful deliberateness and begins to understand, the more she pushes herself, why and how she was able to overcome him so long ago. )